As vehicular lamps used in automobiles or the like, lamps have been proposed that use an LED as a light source. In this type of lamp, a plurality of LEDs are fixed to a board to obtain a desired quantity of light. Electrical wiring is connected to each LED and power supplied thereto. In order to provide a simplified structure for fixing a plurality of LEDs to a board in this manner and connecting electrical wiring at the same time, a board called a bus bar or metal plate wiring is provided, which is configured from a conductive plate of metal or the like that is formed with a desired pattern to provide wiring pairs. The LEDs are fixed thereto, whereby electrode pairs of the LEDs are electrically connected to the bus bar, and electricity is supplied to the LED via the bus bar.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2003-331635 and 2003-243721 provide examples of this type of fixing structure. In Publication 2003-331635, one of a pair of lead electrodes of an LED is inserted in a notch projection provided one of a negative-positive pair of metal plate wirings. Another lead electrode is mounted on another metal plate wiring, and a locking member is engaged from the top side of the other lead electrode into the other metal plate wiring. The lead electrode is clamped between the metal plate wiring and the locking member. Accordingly, the pair of lead electrodes of the LED are mechanically fixed to the metal plate wiring by the notch projection and the locking member, and are electrically connected to each of the negative-positive metal plate wirings.
In Publication 2003-243721, an LED is mounted on a housing of insulated material. Each negative-positive metal plate wiring is mounted on each one of a pair of lead electrodes of the LED from the top side thereof, and the metal plate wirings are then attached to the upper surface of the housing such that each lead electrode is sandwiched between the housing and the metal plate wiring. Accordingly, the pair of lead electrodes of the LED are respectively sandwiched and mechanically fixed between the housing and the pair of metal plate wirings, and are electrically connected to the respective metal plate wirings.
However, in the above-cited references, the configurations are such that the lead electrodes of the LED are sandwiched in a state in which they are in contact with the metal plate wirings. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a separate locking member or housing in order to affix the LED. Further, when the LED is fixed to the metal plate wiring, it is necessary to perform operations such as inserting the locking member to the metal plate wiring, or attaching the metal plate wirings to the housing. In addition, when the LED needs to be removed from the metal plate wiring when the LED is replaced, or the like, operations including removing the locking member or removing the metal plate wiring must be performed. Accordingly, the devices of the cited references have a number of problems such as having an increased number of components, and requiring a complicated operation to attach and remove the LED.